Letter safe



Aug. 25, 1953 o. H. SMITH ET AL LETTER SAFE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.2, 1951 INVENTORS SM! 771 osaAk h. ETHEL u. su/rn mm-Mme,

ATTORNEY:

Aug; 25, 1953 0.1-1. SMITH ET AL- LETTER SAFE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJan. 2, 1951 INVENTORS SMITH SMITH m W mwRimm OSCAR Ii ETHEL M.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 25, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LETTER SAFEOscar H. Smith and Ethel M. Smith, Washington, D. 0.

Application January 2, 1951, Serial No. 204,027 4 Claims. (01. 312-201)present invention relates to improvements A further object of theinvention is to p ov d a improved letter safe of a character to rest inthe claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein the symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved letter safe according tothe present invention condition, Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectionalview of the top tray showing a form of cover operator employed.

Figure 4 is a vertical fragmentary section taken on the line 44 inFigure Figure 5 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view showing thejoint between the pivoted Figure 8 is a vertical transverse sectiontakenon the line 8 8 in Figure 6. Figure 9 is a fragmentary verticallongitudinal sectional view taken on the line B-9 in Figure 8 and,

I I, and at 3'! to a still more forwardly advanced portion of the toptray I2.

In a similar way the rear links 28 are pivoted at 38 to a rear portionof the base tray l0 and at guides 23 may be closed at their inner sidesby the vertical inner walls 41. The top surface of the pivoted cover 20may serve as the bottom walls for the slotted guides 23.

The c-over20 is also preferably formed at its front andside edges withdownturned flanges 42,

best seen in Figures 3 and 5. The permanent top pose effective I9 isalso preferably formed with a downturned flange 43. Portions of theflanges 42 and. 43 are overlapped to enable the pivots 2| to be insertedin registering openings 44 and 45 The permanent cover 19 edge isadvantageously formed with a downwardly depending flange leg 46 and anoutwardly extending or horizontal flange foot 41 extending forwardlyfrom the lower edge of the flange leg 46. This construction is shownmore particularly in Figures and 9, in which the rear edge of the cover20 is shown as provided with a downturned vertical flange leg 48 and aforwardly extending flange foot 49 projecting forwardly from the loweredge of the flange leg 48 substantially horizontally or at right anglesto the vertical plane of the flange leg 48. y

in Figure '1 the tray is reinforced by a channel member 50 having wardlyand engaging the tray bottom [3 and the flange 18 respectively, theflanges of the channel 50 being preferably directed forwardly so as toprovide double spaced walls I6, 50 in look 54 may be accommodated andwhich will otherwise strengthen and reinforce the front portion of thebase tray 10. The channel member 50 and its flanges may be united to theparts of the base tray with which it contacts by welding, brazing orother suitable methods. Preferably a downturned flange Ill from the rearedge of the horizontal flange 18 extends in back of the upper portion ofthe channel member 50.

In like manner a Z-plate 5! may be incorporated in the front portion ofthe intermediate trays H.

Finger holes 52 may be made in the bottoms 13 of all of the trays,preferably near the forward portions thereof.

The entire safe may be supported upon rubber or other feet 53.

In the use of the device, the safe will be ordinarily in the closedposition shown in Figures 1, 6 and 8, the same being locked in themanner indicated in Figure 10.

The proprietor or some authorized person in. possession of a key mayinsert the same in the lock 54 for the purpose of first withdrawing thetongues 32 into the lateral confines of the locking bolt 3i andthereafter moving the lock bolt 3| downwardly through the opening 34 soas to be entirely free of the striker plate 33.

All parts of the safe are preferably of metal appropriately finished toimpart an attractive appearance. By looking any two trays together theentire safe will be locked against unauthorized entry, due to the factthat in the closed position the trays are all in vertical registry withthe bottom of one tray seated upon the inturned flanges ll! of the nextlower tray. The edges all about the trays when in closed positioninterbarriers against the abstraction of papers from the trays.

' lifter the safe is unlocked, the device may be moved to theopenposition illustrated in Figures 2 and as by lifting the handhold 22 dueto the entrainment of all of the trays through the rigid arms or linksthe link extension '29. Or the trays may be opened by moving any "of thetrays to swing the links 21 and 28 to the substantially verticalposition'shown in Figures 2 and '1. In the closed position the rigidarms or links 21, 28 will be in diagonal position illustrated in Figures1 and 6. Therefore in opening the-trays will be lifted one above theother by at its forward free.

which the.

pers from the safe.

the vertical distance between the pivots 35, 36, 31 and 38, 39, 40. Alsodue to the connection of the several pivots at the points indicated onthe several trays, such trays will be moved into an offset or terracedposition with each tray having its front wall set backwardly relativelyto the adjacent lower tray. Such arrangement will leave the frontportions of all of the trays freely accessible to the hand of theproprietor in inserting or removing valuable papers In removing papersthe accessible in the open terraced position of the trays. By insertinga finger upwardly through a finger hole 52 the front portions of papersor documents in any particular tray may be pushed upwardly to a positionwhere the papers may be more readily grasped in the other hand andremovedfrom the tray.

Incident to the opening of the tray and due to the extensions 29, pins.30 and the slotted guides 23, the pivoted cover 20 will also be swungupwardly to give free access to the contents of the top tray [2.

As shown more particularly in Figure 7 in the completely open positionof the safe, the pins 33 will encounter the rear guide walls 26 whichwill act as stops to prevent the further opening movement of the safe.This will occur preferably when the rear links 28 have moved just pastthe vertical dead center to avoid the trays and the lid 23 collapsing ina forward motion to the closed position of the tray when the hands areremoved.

In the closed position of the tray the pins or projections 30 preferablystop short of the forward end walls 25 of the slotted guides 23 in orderto give ample clearance so that these parts will not interfere with thefull closing of the trays in which the bottoms of the trays rest uponflanges l8 of under trays.

When in the closed position the flanges 46, 48 and 41, 49 of thepermanent top In and pivoted cover 20 will fit closely together andprevent the insertion of any instrument which might be used in anattempt to withdraw valuable pa- In the same way the cover flange 42guards against any attempts at theft or abstraction of papers.

The entire safe is reinforced in a lateral direction by the channel andZ-plates 50, 5| and also by the flanges l8; and also further by theflanges 46, 48 and 41, 49. The safe is reinforced against any lateralmotion which might uncover any of the trays by reason of thelongitudinal flanges l8 and the attachment of the rigid links 21 and 28.flat bars of substantially heavy metal which may be aluminum treated,chrome finished or otherwise heated or finished in matching orcontrasting colors with the walls of the trays which are preferably ofrelatively heavy gauged sheet steel. The links 21 and 28 are preferablystraight bars acting as a series of levers between the trays and alsothe extensions 29 with the projections 30 cooperate with the slottedguides 23 to form levers for lifting and lowering the lid 20 inaccompaniment to the opening and closing movements of the trays.

In the single embodiment of the invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings the links 21 are pivoted at 35 to substantiallymiddle points of the base tray H), at 36 to the intermediate tray H andat a point approximately onethird the length of the tray measuringfromthe front wall thereof, and the pivots 31 are affixed These links21, 28 are preferably straight to the sides of the top tray I 2 atpoints which the spaced and terraced position and to autoareapproximately one-sixth of the length therematically close the cover ina locked relation with of measured from the front wallv said top traywhen the trays are lowered into The rear pair of links 28 are of greaterlength mutually closing condition, said projection adaptthan the frontlinks 21 and pivoted at 38 to a 5 ed to encounter the rear end wall ofthe slotted rear portion of the base tray ID, for instance apguide as astop in the fully open position of the proximately one-sixth of thelength of the tray trays and cover.

measured from the rear wall H. The links 28 2. A letter safe as claimedin claim 1 further are pivoted at 39 to the intermediate tray I lincluding a lock between two of the trays which approximately two-thirdsof the length of the through the rigid links will prevent opening oftray measured from the front end. The rear any and all trays to andincludin the hinged links 28 are pivoted at 40 to the top tray I 2 atcover. approximately the median line thereof. 3. A letter safe asclaimed in claiml wherein Although we have disclosed herein the best thecover is disposed only at the front portion form of the invention knownto us at this time, f th t p tray, a p m n t p Wall ng pro- We reservethe right to all such modifications and vid d f r th r ar p rti n o th tp tra to which changes as may come within the scope of the said cover ishinged. following claims. A le What w laim i two slotted guides areprovided in combination 1. A letter safe comprising a plurality of traysWith tWO link extensions and projections, Said including base and toptrays, a cover pivoted to projections being r u d d t r tat in th uid sst top tray a l tt gu de on sand cover incident to the sliding movementtherein while ward of the pivot and having a rear end wall, pairs thelinks and Cover relatively rotateof parallel spaced rigid links pivotedto and inter- OSCAR S connecting said trays on opposite sides of saidETHEL M- SM TH. trays to support the trays in vertically spaced terracedrelation and adapted to swing down to References Cited m the me of thispatent permit lowering of the trays in vertical register UNITED STATESPATENTS upon one another to effect closing of an under Number Name Datet y y sup im osed upper tray, one of said 803,726 Clam) Jan 2, 1906links having an upward extension with a lateral 834328 Strong 14, 1908 poje ion entered and sliding in said guide, said 1 035 552 Doerin onelink being pivoted to the tray carrying said 1:277:893 Fischerg u gcover forwardly of the pivot of said cover and 1653967 Paulson beingadapted 0 raise the DiVOtEd COVBI of said 39 3 2 09 Shaw 52: if r 7--V-!---

